Can flip quickly from being idyllic': the reality of life for young van dwellers priced out of Cornwall's housing market

Young van dwellers in Cornwall are facing the daily realities of being priced out of the housing market, a situation described through the experience of a 25-year-old named Skye. Living in a van, she parks in car parks away from beaches and limits stays to one night when possible, to avoid local anger. During winter, she reports ice inside the van windows and frozen door handles, after a diesel air heater broke and left her feeling cold all season. Skye is one of an “unacknowledged” group of young Cornish residents using old vans because they cannot find or afford rentals. The article links this trend to heavy tourism—about 4 million visitors annually—alongside an estimated 24,000 Airbnbs and holiday lets, making long-term housing scarce. It notes unreliable, often seasonal employment and explains that the Guardian Seascape project’s Against the Tide initiative will document 16-to-25-year-olds across English and Welsh coastal communities over the next 12 months.